The Insult Page #8

one must expect a reaction.

It's normal.

It's inevitable.

It's human nature.

Counselor Wajdy.

There was an article this morning

about a US senator

who insulted a flight attendant.

She asks him to turn his cellphone off.

So he calls her a b*tch.

The White House reacted.

Finally, the senator issued

a public apology.

I wonder if this could happen

in this country.

If it's ever possible

to settle a dispute

in a respectful manner,

and consider an apology

is not a sign of weakness,

but a sign of decency.

That's all Mr. Hanna wanted.

An apology.

Plain and simple.

The defense maintains

that Tony Hanna's words

targeted Mr. Salameh's identity,

his history,

and his people's history.

So he hit him.

If Yasser Salameh is a refugee,

so is Tony Hanna.

Even more,

a refugee in his own country.

His life has been marred

by the same suffering, tragedy,

and injustice.

The only difference is

we've never showed Tony and many others

the compassion they deserve.

On the contrary,

we've silenced them, ostracized them,

while we know all too well

what happened to the Palestinians.

We talk so much about your cause,

there's no room left

for anyone else.

What happened in 1976

in Damour, Jiye, Sadiyat, and Nahme,

we're not allowed to talk about it.

But what Tony Hanna said

to Yasser Salameh, it's allowed.

The truth is

they're the product of an old wound

that has never healed.

What's happening in this court

is a beginning

to consider and accept the other.

Something must be said,

something relevant, fundamental.

No one has a monopoly on suffering,

Your Honors.

No one.

All eyes are on the Court ofAppeals.

The verdict is imminent.

From north to south,

the army is on high alert...

The verdict

in the Hanna vs Salameh case...

A reminder of the tough last two months

the country has been through...

Judge Colette Mansur allowed the public

to view the proceedings.

Will the verdict change

Palestinians' situation in Lebanon?

Could this trial set a precedent

by examining old Civil War wounds?

Will either side accept or appeal

the decision to the Supreme Court?

Will this verdict spark

more rioting in the streets?

This case now closes

after having profoundly rattled Lebanon.

It has fueled waves of violence

and brought back

memories of the Civil War.

Judge Colette Mansur presiding.

All rise!

Plaintiff and defendant, please rise.

This seems like a cut-and-dry case,

but in reality it's not.

This is a case

that involves two people

who each claim to be the victim.

Words were uttered,

and an assault was committed.

You each believe you were in the right.

The issue is which of you is at fault,

or more at fault.

Do the words

outweigh the physical aggression,

or are they equally incriminating?

Basically,

a physical assault is unacceptable.

You can't take the law

into your own hands,

eXcept for clear and imminent danger,

meaning self-defense.

At the same time,

does an insult carry the same weight

as physical assault,

when the insult is demeaning

and hurtful?

At one point, we were tempted

to find you both guilty.

But based on the evidence

submitted by both lawyers,

we had to go back to how it all started.

By virtue of majority vote,

two for, and one against,

this court finds

Yasser Salameh

not guilty.

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